Episode #113: Strategy and Tactics for the Surge with Joe Katuzeinski

🎙️ Episode #113 – Lessons from the Cockpit Welcome to another mission-ready episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit show! I’m your host Lt. Col. Mark Hasara, retired Air Force KC-135 pilot, Weapons School graduate, and aviation fanatic for over 60 years.

Strap in for this one—because we’re bringing serious airpower experience to the table.

Joining me today is one of the smartest Air Force officers I’ve ever worked with—Lt. Col. Joe “TAZZ” Katuzeinski. He and I go way back to our Weapons and Tactics days at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa in the '90s. Since then, TAZZ has led combat operations from the heart of Iraq to the highest levels of campaign planning. TAZZ served as the Operations Support Squadron Commander at Baghdad International Airport in 2006 and returned in 2008 as a strategist for the Surge and its air campaign, helping dismantle terror networks and put major pressure on insurgents and Hezbollah operatives backed by Iran’s Qassem Soleimani. These stories aren’t just historic—they’re tactical gold. This is air campaign planning at its highest level—and it’s all in this episode.

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🎖️ Join the All Ranks Club on Patreon Want behind-the-scenes access to this kind of high-level content? Join the All Ranks Club on Patreon and unlock:

🎙️ Group Q&A sessions 🧭 Private Zoom calls with me

🍺 Virtual Bar Nights—aviation stories, war updates, and real talk

✈️ Monthly 7-inch aircraft profile stickers—exclusive collector’s series!

🔗 Join the squadron here: .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}